A study in Buenos Aires, Argentina, found a 4.2% prevalence of Hepatitis D virus (HDV) among hepatitis B virus-reactive patients, with many of these cases being nonreactive to standard anti-HDV antibodies.
The research involved analyzing 189 serum samples, revealing that most HDV RNA cases were undetected by typical diagnostic methods, suggesting a need for improved testing.
The findings highlight the importance of synchronous testing for better diagnosis of HDV and call for further studies to target high-risk populations and enhance prevention strategies for co-infections.